Combined mill and display device



I'. B. NIKON.

COMBINED MILL- AND DISPLAY DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED IAN-25,1921.

Patenfe Jan. 31, 1922.

i SHEETS-SHEET I.

FIISJ..

' FIELZ.

W/ TNE-SSES J. B. NIXUN.

*EDIVIBI'NED MILL AND DISPLAY DEVICE.

APPucATloN FILED JAN.25. 1921,.

1,405,318, Patented Jan. 31,1922.

. 2 sHEETs-sHEEr'2. Fus. R Flua3 o e o 8 /A/ VEA/raf? i WH A. A W

JOHN BROWN Nixon, or Burma, P ENNsYLvaNm COMBINED MILL AND DISPDAY DEVICE.

Toall @from t may o o/noem: Y v

Be it. known that I, JOHN BROWN NIKON', a. citizen of the United States, residing at Butler, inthe county of Butler and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Mill` 'i and Display Devices, of which the `following is a specification.

My invention relates to a combined mill for reparing Vcereal grains for food and d disp ay device for attractingvthe attention of customers.

.The vinvention is designed to `be placed in large grocery stores,department stores, or other suitablevplace's where it will` be seen by the public, and comprises one or more milling machinesof small capacity, housed in an ornamental structure. AdjacentV the mills, withinthe. housing, are'suitable bins' and disposed above these .loins areother bins. One of the bins in the lower part of the structurev is adapted to receive the whole Grain, and a conveyor is provided for elevating grain from it to one of the upp-er bins,

from whence it; is normally fed into they mill. The mill ldeliversvthe ground cereal into a second lower bin, andv a second conveyor lifts it to another of the upper bins. This bin-is provided with an outlet chute yEfrom whichthe Vfinished meal or cereal foodV may bewithdrawninto bags, to be yimmediatelyQsold.

Many parts of the apparatus are preferably transparentin order that prospective customers may see the meal in process of preparation. Different illuminating effects are preferably produced to attract customers.

The grain is milled'as it is used, andthe buyer is insured of getting .a fresh cereal food. The necessity'of expensive moisture proof packages is dispensed, with in distributing the food, and therefore it can be sold more cheaply and at] greater profits?.

' While thel foregoingt describes broadly the nature of my invention, it may be more fully understood by reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred form of .the'inventiom and in which, Fig. 1 isa vertical -longitudinal section the device;

. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on line 2---2v of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 thereof;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation thereof;-

Fig. 5 isa diagrammatic View vof the ,cir-

Specification of Letters Patenty is'A avertieal transverse` sectionv l lum'rsn STATES `PATENT 5oFFlCEfI l Patented Jan; 31, 1922. lippneaemn mea Januaryaaiem. .serial No. 439,s8.

cuits. for'. controlling the illuminathigelfects; f d

and.

Fig. 6 lis a diagrammatic view showing a representation vof the commutatori'fac'e of a rotary'switch employed-.in Fig. 5. p d. Referring to Athey drawings, A designates generally the housing, the,v appearanceY of whichuis `made to simulate` that voif -anold' fashioned',windanillL Itcomprises an upper portion, a lower portion 6, intermediate supporting member 7,- anda selling counter 8.Y f; l

The device is.' preferably providedY with y two. mills, one mill preferably Vbeing l used for wheat, the other foroats, although, of

course, but asingle millfmight be employed, L

or anyfdesirable ninnberofthem,` and any,

suitable cereal could be prepared. I .have

shown 4in the drawings a device having two .mills These are located inthe lower section 6 ofthe housing, andare indicatedat 9. They are driven by a common motor 10 which is centrally positioned, and fone of them are at each side ofthe motor. The mills have hoppers 11 and outlet chutes 12, At the v'side of each milland in the housing is a bin 13, into which the chutes 12. deliver.

The bottoms ofthe bins 13 are inclined. Atv

the side .of each of the bins 13 isanother bin 14, these bins being supply bins andjalso have an inclinedbottom. They are ,provided hOPPGISf or other fillingV d with suitable means 141.

In theupper section vrof the housing., which., is provided witha plurality of windowsvl,

are two central bins 16 and two Vend bins 17, the windows .1,5 forming the front walls of thebins. `The bins 16 .and 17 are also preferablyV provided with sloping bottoms.

18, from which-the ground cereal is disf pensed into small bags,19.indicating controlling vmeansin the spouts.y f lL.

-vllxtending downwardly 'from each of. the endv Ebins' -17 *are -inclined chutes 2O having portion 5. ofthe housing is4 a line shaft .95 The central bins :16 are provided with spo'uts branches 21 and 7 22. Branch 21-delivers 25 which. may be driven inany. suitable' manner,'such as by'amotor'rr26 an'dpbelt 27 in Ytheupper portion'of the housing o ver said supply bin, conveyor for elevating ygrain from the supply bin thereto, a chute Y to be dispensed from an upper bin;

2. An apparatus for grinding' and dispensing grain comprising a housing, a grindding mill in the lower portion-'ofsaid'housing, a'bininto which the grinding mill de- Y livers, a supply bin adjacent thereto, a bin in the lupperportion of the housing over said supply bin, aconvey'or for elevating grain;

from the supply bin thereto, a chute extending'therefrom to said mill,a branch in said chute for directing grain back to the supply bin, means for controlling the direction of passage of the grain, a second bin in the upper. portion of said housing, and a conveyor for conducting the milled grain from the bin adjacent said mill-to said second vupper bin. 7

3. An apparatus for grinding and dispensing grain comprising a plurality of upper bins and a plurality of lower bins, one

of which is a supply bin, a mill delivering Y to one of the lower bins, means for con- -per bins and a plurality of lower bins, one

ofV which is a supply bin, a mill delivering to one of the lower bins, means for convey- Y ing whole grain from the supply bin'to one of theV upper bins, means for conducting grain from such upper bin tothe mill, means operable for diverting the grain from the mill to the supply bin, means for lifting` the ground grain from the bin to which said mill delivers to another of the upper bins, and means for withdrawing such ground grain from the upper bin.

5. A combined displayand milling apparatus for grinding and dispensing grain comprising` a housing simulating a building in appearance having upper and lower portions, a' plurality of bins in the upper portion, a plurality of bins in the lower portion, one of said bins being a supply bin, a mill adapted to deliver ground cereal to another y of the bins in the lower portion, transparent fronts for the upper bins which fronts also form windows for the building, a conveyor hav-ing a transparent casing for elevatingvr grain from the supply bin to one of the bins in the upper portion, la chute for Conveying the grain therefromv to said mill, a second conveyor having a transparent casing for ..10 l

elevating the-ground cereal from thel bin to which the mill delivers to another ofthe upper Vvbins, and 'means for-dispensing the ground cereal from suchupper bin. ,f

v6. A device forf'grinding and dispensing grain comprising a housing having a plurality of adjacent bins in the upper part thereof,^a plurality of bins` in the lower'part thereof, `a Ymill, Vmeans' for transferring the grain' from the lower bins to theupper, .and 80 for transferring it from some of the upper bins to the lower ones, and for passing -it through lthe mill, somefof the lower bins being adapted to receive the milled grain, and .means `for conveyingl ,hev milled grain-'1 85' to other 0f the upper bins. i 1.

7; A-combined display and milling device for grinding and dispensing grain comprising a housing-'simulating lin appearance a wind-mill, a 'grinding mill in the 'ho'i'ising and' means for conducting fwhole grain thereto and conveying' ground cereal therefrom, a selling counter extending in front of the housing, but spaced therefrom to provide a place for an attendant, means whereby an attendant may obtain lthe ground cereal from the mill, and an ornamental fan mounted in the housing'and adapted to be rotated when the mill is in operation for attracting customers to the device.

8. A combined display and milling device for grinding and dispensing grain compris- Y ing a housing, a plurality of windows in the l upper part of said housing, a plurality of bins inthe upper part of said housing and having their interiors visiblethrough the windows, a mill, means for delivering grain to be passed t0 the mill to certain of the bins, means for delivering the ground cereal to certain of the bins, an ornamental fan 110l ysaid bins, and means operating synchron nously with the fan for varying the illuminating effects concomitant-ly with the rotation of the fan. 7 l

9. A combined display'and milling devic for grinding and dispensing grain comprising a housing, a plurality of windows in the 120 upper part of said housing, a pluralityof. l bins in the upper part of said housing and vhaving their interiors visible through the windows, a mill. below the bins, ymeans for delivering grain to be passed to the mill to certain of the bins, means for delivering Y the ground cerealto Acertain of the bins, an`V ornamental. fanhaving vanes at `the front of said housing, which vanes move in front of said windows, alternately colored lights Vio before the window concomitantly with the passage of such vane in front of the window.

lO. An apparatus for grinding and dis-- pensing cereal comprising a housing, a grinding mill in the lower portion of the housing, a bin into which the grinding mill delivers, a supply bin adjacent thereto, a bin in the upper part of the housing over said supply bin, a conveyor for elevating grain from the supply bin thereto, a drier over which said grain falls into the said upper bin, a chute extending therefrom to said mill, a second bin in the upper portion of the housing, a conveyor for elevating the milled grain from the bin adjacent the mill to said second upper bin, and a drier in the second upper bin over which the milled grain passes from said conveyor.

l1. A combined display and milling apparatus for grinding and dispensing grain naosis comprising a housing having upper and lower portions, a plurality of bins in the upper portion, a plurality of bins in the lower portion, one of said bins being a supply bin, a mill adapted to deliver ground cereal to another of the bins in the lower portion, transparent fronts for the upper bins, a conveyor having a transparent casing for elevating grain from the supply bin to one of the bins in the upper portion, a chute for conveying the grain' therefrom to said mill, a second conveyor having a transparent casing for elevating the ground cereal from the bin to which the mill delivers to another of the upper bins, and means for dispensing the ground cereal from such upper bin, and shelves in the upper bins for directing the contents of the conveyors forwardly toward the transparent fronts thereof.`

In testimony whereofl I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN BROWVNv NIXON.

Witnesses WV. G. DooLI'rTLE,

Lors WINEMAN. 

